Cagle is back, and apparently so are Griffins
- Updated: September 4, 2016
Grossmont quarterback Brad Cagle looks to make a play on Saturday. / photo by Christopher Smith – MBA Sports
2016 GROSSMONT COLLEGE FOOTBALL
By Bill Dickens
© EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO (9-4-16) — Grossmont College opened the season with an offensive eruption led by freshman quarterback BRAD CAGLE who helped the Griffins produce nearly 500 yards Saturday night (Sept. 3) and a 49-21 knockout of host San Diego Mesa College.
This was Cagle’s first game since leading El Capitan to a 14-1 record and the California State Bowl Game finals in 2014. He was coming off an injury of two years ago but did not appear to have lost his marksmanship as he completed 19 of 31 passes for 355 yards and 4 touchdowns in his Grossmont College debut.
Grossmont’s QUANTARIUS BOONE pressures the Mesa quarterback. / photo by Christopher Smith – MBA Sports
“I was a grey shirt last season but I’m pretty pleased about helping out team to a good start like this,” said Cagle. “We were a little shaky and committed too many penalties in the early going, but once we got clicking in the second half we were able to put the game away.”
Overcoming a bevy of penalties, Grossmont managed to take a 15-0 first quarter lead. PERRY AFATO scored on a 1-yard plunge with 8:20 remaining in the first period.
Then Cagle took to the air. He fired a 7-yard touchdown pass to QUINTON VINZART that was capped by a 2-yard pass conversion to DAN JOHNSON to end the quarter.
After that the game turned into an offensive ping-pong match. Cagle hit SEBASTIAN SMITH for a 51-yard TD score and JABRIL CLEWIS for a 9-yard scoring strike.
It wasn’t until the fourth quarter when the Griffins went on a 21-0 scoring spree to put the game on ice. After Cagle fired a 15-yard scoring strike to ADRIAN TOLBERT, the Griffins put the game away on a 105-yard interception return by freshman JORDAN ELLIS (Valhalla), electrifying the crowd.
Grossmont’s ALEX CARSWELL (8) teams up for a tackle on Saturday at Mesa College. / photo by Christopher Smith – MBA Sports
It was a Grossmont College record interception return. Ellis stepped in front of the intended Mesa receiver and broke into an end-to-end sprint with the Olympian receiver in hot pursuit. Not only was it a school record, it was the second interception of the night for Ellis.
“No question that was the key play of the game,” observed Cagle.
Back-up quarterback SPENCER MOYER added a stinger at the end of the game as he connected with Tolbert for an 83-yard touchdown strike. Tolbert finished the night with 4 catches for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Not to be overlooked was multi-talented running back NEHEMIAH BROWN, who rushed for 62 yards on 16 carries in a game that was a penalty fest. Brown had two touchdowns nullified by the officials despite garnering 136 total yards.
“It was pretty frustrating,” Brown admitted.
He had a punt return wiped out on a block to the back call, and a screen pass for a touchdown erased on a holding infraction. Had Brown reached the end zone without flags flying Grossmont would have won in a rout.
Brown missed most of last season with a hamstring strain but believes he’s back at full strength and will be “fit to play every game.”
“We have a great bunch of guys and I think we should have an outstanding season,” he added.
Grossmont back NEHEMIAH BROWN races to daylight against Mesa. / photo by Christopher Smith – MBA Sports
GAME 1: Sept. 3 – Grossmont (1-0) 49, San Diego Mesa (0-1) 21
1st 2nd 3rd 4th TOTAL PTS AVG
GRIFFINS 15 6 7 21 49 49.0
SAN DIEGO MESA 0 7 14 0 21 21.0
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Qtr GC SDM
GC Perry Afato 1 Run; Richard Estevez kick 7 0
(drive: 10 plays, 74 yds)
GC Michael Ledesma 7 Pass from Brad Cagle; Dan Johnson pass from Cagle 15 0
(drive: 7 plays, 56 yds)
2nd Qtr
GC Sebastian Smith 51 Pass from Cagle; Estevez kick failed 21 0
(drive: 5 plays, 78 yds)
SDM Darryl Dave 55 Pass from Nick Plum; Bryce Pasky kick 21 7
(drive: 6 plays, 77 yds)
3rd Qtr
SDM Michael Green 7 Pass from Plum; Pasky kick 21 14
(drive: 1 play, 7 yds)
GC Jabril Clewis 11 Pass from Cagle; Conner Erwin kick 28 14
(drive: 8 plays, 60 yds)
SDM Tyler Crayton 13 Pass from Plum, Pasky kick 28 21
(drive: 7 plays, 40 yds)
4th Qtr
GC Adrian Tolbert 16 Pass from Cagle; Erwin kick 35 21
(drive: 6 plays for 81 yds)
Gro Jordan Ellis 105 Interception Return; Erwin kick 42 21
Gro Adrian Tolbert 83 Pass from Spencer Moyer; Erwin kick 49 21
(drive: 3 plays, 87 yds)
TEAM STATISTICS GC SDM
FIRST DOWNS 18 14
Penalty by/Yards 14-130 11-133
Sacks by/Yards 2-7 3-33
Rushing TDs 1 1
Fumbles 2-2 1-1
Time of Possession 23:32 20:10
2016 Grossmont College Football Schedule & Scores
2016 GROSSMONT COLLEGE FOOTBALL
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent W/L Rec. / NSL
Sept. 3 Grossmont 49, Mesa 21 W 1-0
Sept. 10 at LA Harbor, 6
Sept. 17 El Camino at Grossmont, 3
Sept. 24 Chaffey at Grossmont, 3
Oct. 1 Grossmont at Canyons, 6
Oct. 8 Bye
Oct. 15 *Grossmont at Fullerton, 1
Oct. 22 *Orange Coast at Grossmont, 1
Oct. 29 *Saddleback at Grossmont, 1
Nov. 5 *Grossmont at Golden West, 7
Nov. 12 *Palomar at Grossmont, 1
Bold = Home games
* = National Southern League
RUSHING GP NO YG YL NET AVG TD LG YPG
Nehemiah Brown 1 20 77 3 74 3.7 0 8 74
Nolan Minfield 1 3 14 0 14 4.7 0 7 14
Marshall Faulk, Jr. 1 2 7 2 5 2.5 0 7 5
Brad Cagle 1 5 42 -23 -4 — 0 7 —
Perry Afato 1 1 1 0 1 1.0 1 1 1
Austin Smith 1 -1 0 -1 -1 — 0 — —
Totals 1 30 141 -19 89 3.0 1 30 94
PASSING GP PA PC PI P CT. YDS TD LG YPG
Brad Cagle 1 31 23 1 .742 359 4 51 359
Spencer Moyer 1 3 1 0 .333 83 1 83 83
Totals 1 34 20 1 .588 442 5 83 442
TOT OFFENSE GP Rush RTD Pass PTD Plays YDS YPG
Brad Cagle 1 -4 0 19 4 36 355 355
Spencer Moyer 1 1 1 1 1 3 83 83
RECEIVING GP NO YDS AVG TD LG YPG
Adrian Tolbert 1 4 157 39.3 2 83 157
Nehemiah Brown 1 4 74 18.5 0 22 74
Sebastian Smith 1 2 84 42.0 1 51 84
Jabril Clewis 1 4 39 19.5 1 30 39
Marshall Faulk, Jr. 1 2 33 16.5 0 25 33
Michael Ledesma 1 3 26 8.7 1 12 26
Marcelluz Smith 1 1 22 22.0 0 22 22
Quinton Vinzart 1 1 7 7.0 0 7 7
Totals 1 18 442 24.7 5 83 442
PUNT RET. GP NO YDS AVG TD LG YPG
Nehemiah Brown 1 2 27 13.5 0 16 27
KICK RET GP NO YDS AVG TD LG YPG
Nehemiah Brown 1 2 45 22.5 0 30 22.5
Kurtis Brooks 1 1 20 20.0 0 20 20.0
PUNTING GP NO YDS AVG LG BLK In 20
Blake Lester 1 3 113 37.7 40 0 1
Team 1 1 26 26.0 26 0 0
KICK Scoring GP XP XPA FG FGA 11-25 26-35 36-40 41+
Connor Erwin 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0
Richard Estevez 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
SCORING GP TD FG FGA XP XPA 2Pt Saf TOT PTS
Adrian Tolbert 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 12
Perry Afato 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
Michael Ledesma 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
Sebastian Smith 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
Jabril Clewis 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
Jordan Ellis 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
Richard Estevez 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 1
Conner Erwin 1 0 0 0 4 4 0 0 4
Dan Johnson 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
ALL PURPOSE GP RU REC PR KR YDS TD YPG
Nehemiah Brown 1 74 74 27 45 220 0 220
INTERCEPTIONS GP INT YDS TD LG
Jordan Ellis 1 2 110 1 105
Luqman Barcoo 1 1 0 0 0
Perry Sherrod 1 1 0 0 0
FUMBLE RET GP NO YDS AVG TD LG YPG
None
